


Mother and Child Reunion

by Ink_Gypsy



Series: Lucky Clover Diner Universe [11]
Category: Lord of the Rings RPS (AU)
Genre: M/M, Sean Astin/Elijah Wood - Freeform, lucky clover diner universe, mother's day fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 21:45:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10908069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: Elijah’s mother comes into The Lucky Clover on Mother’s Day to confront Sean about his relationship with her son.





	Mother and Child Reunion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mom/gifts).



> Written for Mother's Day 2017. Part of my Lucky Clover Diner Universe.

[ ](http://imgur.com/e2Psq21)

The Lucky Clover wasn’t normally open on Sunday, but on Mother’s Day, Sean liked to give the locals an affordable place to take their mothers and grandmothers for a celebratory brunch, and seeing the happy families celebrating together made him miss his own mother a little less . He’d be Skyping with her tonight, so was taken by surprise when she called him.

[](http://imgur.com/itBlhhm)

“The flowers are beautiful, Sean.” His mother turned her smart phone to the side so instead of her face, Sean now saw a portion of her living room where his gift was displayed in the middle of the coffee table.

He’d chosen tulips, her favorite flower, and ordered two dozen multi-colored ones to be delivered in a glass vase. He was pleased that the local florist he’d used had done such a nice job with them since he couldn’t select them in person. “I’m glad you like them,” he said.

Her face back in view now, she told him, “I knew you’d be calling tonight, but I just couldn’t wait to thank you.”

“It’s fine,” Sean replied. They were busy, but seeing his mother’s beaming face, he couldn’t be angry about the interruption. “Happy Mother’s Day.”

“Thank you, Sweetie. How are things with you and Elijah?”

“We’re doing fine. How about you and Dad?”

“We’re fine, too, Sean. I hope you and Elijah will think about coming soon for a visit.”

“As soon as we can manage it, but I have to go now. Lots of people are here for Mother’s Day brunch. Tell Dad I said hi.”

“I will.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. And please give our love to Elijah.”

“I will. Goodbye, Mom.”

During the first few months after their move, Sean had limited communications with his parents to regular phone calls and e-mails rather than Skyping so they couldn’t see how tired he was from the added workload he’d taken on. Even after he’d hired adequate staff and had things running smoothly again, so many hours spent at the diner curtailed any social life he might have had, leaving him so exhausted that when the weekend came, he was too tired to do anything but sleep, and one look at his face would have told his mother the story. Sean never told her how lonely he was because knowing his parents, they would feel guilty for leaving and forcing on him the responsibility of running the business, which was the last thing he wanted. But now that Elijah was in his life, his loneliness was in the past.

He’d been worried about his parents’ reaction to Elijah, but he needn’t have been. Once they heard that Sean had found a young man who made their son happy, they’d accepted him immediately and unconditionally. So far they’d exchanged a few words with Elijah while Skyping, but Sean knew they very much wanted to meet him in person. The unconditional love of his own parents made Sean feel badly about Elijah’s lack of familial support, but if they didn’t care what happened to him, he was better off without them. Sean hoped Elijah would grow to think of Sean’s family as his own.

“Did your Mom like the flowers?” Elijah asked. He came into the kitchen carrying a tub of dirty dishes, placing it on the counter for the dishwasher.

Sean nodded. “Very much. She sends love from her and Dad.”

“Tell her thanks the next time you talk to her.”

Elijah went back to bussing the booths, while Sean came out to tend to the counter service. He took orders, refilled empty coffee cups, served pie and donuts to those who wanted dessert, drifting down to the cash register when customers needed to pay their checks. When a woman sat down at the counter, he went to her and asked, “Good afternoon. What can I get you?”

“Are you the owner?”

“Yes, I’m the owner,” he replied. “Is there a problem?”

“Yes there’s a problem. Do you think a man your age should be taking advantage of a boy Elijah’s age?”

She wasn’t a regular, so the question surprised him. Rather than taking offense at her accusation, the first thing he thought to ask was, “You know Elijah?”

“My neighbor saw him in here the other day, and when she asked about him, one of your customers said he’s working here, and that he’s living with you.”

Sean was sure he didn’t know the woman, yet there was something familiar about her. “Look, ma’am, I don’t want to be rude, but neither my personal life, or Elijah’s, is any of your business. So unless you plan to order something, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

“It is my business,” she retorted. “I’m Elijah’s mother, and it’s my job to look out for him.”

Elijah’s mother. Now the hint of familiarity made sense. The threads of grey in the dark hair, the crow’s feet around the eyes that showed Sean what Elijah might look like when he reached his mother’s age.

Her age and her parental status should have made Sean respectful, but instead, it brought back the anger he’d felt on the night Elijah had first appeared at The Lucky Clover. “You were his mother when you tossed him out on the street to fend for himself,” he said coldly. “Were you looking out for him then?”

His going on the offensive caught her off-balance. She’d come to shame Sean, and wasn’t expecting him to turn the tables and attack her. “He was of age,” she said, trying for indignation, but couldn't pull it off.

Sean nodded. “Yes, old enough that you wouldn’t be arrested for child abandonment,” he told her, “and he’s even older now, which means you no longer have a say in what he does, or with whom.”

“But it’s not decent, you sharing a bed like a normal couple.”

“Decent?” Sean shot back. “As decent as you were, putting a boy out of his home because you and your husband didn’t like the way he turned out? Tell me this, if Elijah left me this minute, would you take him home with you? Would he be welcome in your husband’s house the way he is?” The woman didn’t answer, which was all the answer Sean needed. “I didn’t think so. I took Elijah in when he needed a place to stay, and we’ve grown to love each other in a way you won’t ever understand. I’ve given him love and a real home, which is more than you or your husband ever did.”

He could see she was trying to think of a comeback, something to put him in his place, but she had nothing. Elijah wasn’t going anywhere, but Sean had given her the opportunity to right her wrong. It had been a test, and she had failed miserably.

Sean said, “Now that you’ve finished what you came to say, I want you out of my place of business. You won’t be welcome here until you’re ready to treat your son with the respect he deserves, and that means respecting his choice to be with me.” He was about to show her the door when Elijah came back with another tub of dirty dishes.

At first, seeing her only from behind, there was no recognition, but when Elijah rounded the counter he turned to look at Sean, then followed his lover’s gaze to the customer sitting at the counter. He stopped in his tracks, miraculously keeping the tub from slipping out of his hands and spilling all the crockery and silverware onto the floor. “Mom.” It came out in a flat, defeated voice. “What are you doing here?”

Sean answered for her. “She stopped by to see how you’re doing, and now that she has, she’s leaving.”

Her stopping by to check on his welfare was an obvious lie and Elijah knew it. He could read it on Sean’s face, but he was determined not to let his mother see how much it had hurt him. Saying only, “Goodbye, Mom,” he disappeared into the kitchen.

Sean followed Elijah’s mother to the exit and opened the door for her, following her out. Standing outside, watching her go, he didn’t come back inside until she was out of sight. He didn’t see Elijah, so assuming he was still in the kitchen, went to find him. Only his cook, Jake, and Marcus, the dishwasher, were there. Seeing his worried look, Marcus nodded in the direction of the back door that led to the alley.

Elijah was sitting on the ground, his knees pulled up to his chest, his chin resting on them. When he saw Sean he lifted his face and said, “I’m so sorry, Sean."

Sean sat down beside him. “What do you have to be sorry for?”

“My mother. She came here to make trouble for you, didn’t she?”

“It doesn’t matter because she didn’t accomplish whatever she set out to do.”

“What did she say about me? That I was letting you fuck me for a place to sleep? I’m sure she thinks that’s something I would do, that being gay means I’m a whore.” He ran his hands through his hair. “And why did she have to come here on Mother’s Day?”

“I think her coming here today was meant to emphasis her position as your mother, but she gave up her right to that title when she kicked you out of your home without any regard for your welfare.”

“Did she attack you, too?” Elijah wanted to know.

Sean sidestepped the question, saying only, “I suppose she thought being your mother, she’d shame me into giving you up, but I’m not ashamed of loving you, Elijah.” He leaned over and kissed Elijah on the lips. “Besides, since you’re not a child anymore, I told her what you do, and who you do it with, is none of her business. I also told her that she won’t be welcome here until she treats you – and our relationship – with respect. Do you have a problem with that?”

Elijah shook his head. “She won’t ever respect us, or accept our being together, which means she’ll never come back, and that’s fine with me.” He bit his bottom lip. “Am I a terrible son for not caring if I ever see my mother again?”

“No, baby, you’re not a terrible son. Being the terrible mother she is, no one would blame you for feeling the way you do, least of all me.”

“I just hate that she brought her poison here, that she tried to ruin what we have.”

“Sticks and stones,” Sean remarked, and showed Elijah both sides of his face. “See? Not a mark on me.”

“Did everyone in the diner hear her?” Elijah asked. “I wouldn’t want the customers who’ve been coming here for so many years to think badly of you because of me.”

“Our long-time customers know me. They’re not going to take anything some stranger says about me to heart.”

“But they don’t know me like they know you. What if they believe what she said, that I’m using you?”

Elijah’s mother hadn’t spoken out against him, but put the blame entirely on Sean, insinuating that he, being the older man, must be taking advantage of her younger, less-worldly son. He considered telling Elijah that, but thinking an attack on the man he loved might bother Elijah more than one on himself, Sean kept her accusations to himself.

Instead he said, “But they’ve been getting to know you, and they can tell you’re a good person. The staff can see how much you care about me, how happy you’ve made me, and our long-time customers can see it too. You’ve made friends here, Elijah, and nothing your mother says or does will change that.” Sean wasn’t sure that Elijah was convinced, but he’d been as persuasive as he could be, and could only hope he’d gotten through to him. Getting up from the ground, Sean took Elijah’s hand and pulled him to his feet. “But right now you need to come back inside. There are a lot of people here to celebrate Mother’s Day, and we can’t keep our customers waiting.”

Elijah managed a lop-sided smile. “Yes, sir, boss,” he said, clicking his heels and saluting. Sean could tell his heart wasn’t really in it, but at least Elijah was trying.

As Elijah opened the back door, Sean gave his young lover’s ass a playful swat. When Elijah responded with the high-pitched giggle he loved, Sean couldn’t help but grin. Elijah would be all right, despite his mother’s attempt to interfere in their lives.

Meeting Elijah’s mother on Mother’s Day had made Sean even more aware of how lucky he was to have his own mother in his life. Tonight, after they got home, he’d call her and wish her a proper Happy Mother’s Day, and knowing she was dying to get to know Elijah better, he’d let her have some Skype time with him.

Picturing Elijah sitting in front of the laptop, Cocoa on his lap for moral support while he spoke to the indomitable Anna, gave Sean a warm feeling. He knew Elijah would be nervous talking to her alone, but Sean had no doubt that his Mom would be able to put him at ease. Having such a wonderful woman in his life was a gift, one he appreciated, and he wanted to make sure she never doubted how much he loved her. And he hoped that in time, Elijah would grow to love her just as much as he did.

[](http://imgur.com/WukvV8t)


End file.
